Butterfly Weed 6375

$2.49
-
$78.75

Bright, sun-loving plants are filled with brilliant orange flower clusters 10 cm (4") across from June through to September. Mound shaped plants average 60 cm (24") tall. Like its name suggests, its a favourite of butterflies and other nectar loving insects. Butterfly Milkweed is a native Ontario perennial wildflower that is very heat and drought tolerant and an excellent choice for the low maintenance garden. Hardy to Zone 3.

125 seeds/gram. Sow seed indoors in a soil-less mix in early March for late summer flowering in the first year. Growing medium temperature should be about 20 C (68 F). After germination, grow-on under lights at a cooler temperature of 15 C (60 F) before hardening off and planting out to a sunny site after the danger of frost has passed. Dormant fall seeding in mid October is also a good way to start not only this plant but many other perennials. Late fall seeding allows any dormant seed to be naturally stratified over the winter.

Blooming Season Begins

High Summer

Life Cycle

Perennial

Propagation

Start Indoors or Sow Direct in Fall

Days to Emergence

10 to 20

Light

Full Sun

Growth Habit

Sturdy

Height

Medium (50 to 70 cm)(20" to 28")

Frost Tolerance

Winter Hardy

Degree of Difficulty

Easy

Heritage

Native of Canada

Family Name

Apocynaceae

Latin

Asclepias tuberosa

Suggested uses.

An absolute must have plant for any butterfly or pollinator garden.Superb performance in droughty, sunny sitesRegularly used in native meadow mixes.Eye catching colour!

Requires Stratification

For the seed from many native plants, late fall is the best time to sow seed directly outside. Why you ask? Simply put, many native plants produce seed that is viable but dormant. This means that while the seed has all the internal structures and nutrients required to germinate, the seed coat is so hard, water cannot pass through it and initiate germination. When seed is in this state, it is known as being dormant. Seed dormancy is a naturally selected for trait that protects the seed of many plants allowing them to safely overwinter and then be ready to sprout in more favourable conditions in spring.The remedy to naturally breaking seed dormancy is typically the passing of time. In particular, seed overwintering outside and experiencing the natural freeze thaw cycles that occur in late fall, winter and early spring. This dormancy breaking process is called stratification.